The grueling 89km Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in South Africa (click on image on left) is on today (Sunday 24 May).

The race starts at 5.30am (1.30pm Brisbane time) at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishes off at 5.30pm (1.30am Brisbane time) at Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead in Durban.

If you have any family members of friends taking part you can follow their progress at www.comrades.com.

Ex-Brisbanite (the jury is still out on that one!), Dr. Anver Omar (Race number 53276), will be amongst the 13 000 runners hitting the road this afternoon (Brisbane time).

In a Skype conversation with CCN last night, 8 hours before the start of the run, Anver had this to say about his preparations for the big day:

Good luck, Anver. CCN will be tracking you all the way to the finish!

The Brisbane Muslim Burial Services (BMBS) operates the ghusl facilities at the Kuraby Mosque and they assist with funeral arrangements and with performing Ghusl for the deceased within the local community.

BMBS also provides an SMS service to the community by sending out an SMS message of funerals taking place in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to mobile numbers on their database.

If you would like to receive their SMS messages, send your mobile number by e-mail to janaza786@hotmail.com, to be included in their database.

You can find more detailed information on their services here.
 

Dr Mohamad Abdalla, Founding Director, Griffith Islamic Research Unit (GIRU), announced thsi week that Mahmood Nathie had just received the University's Doctoral confirmation letter and that he, like Dr Halim Rane before him, has achieved academic excellence for his outstanding PhD thesis.

"Like Halim's examiners, Mahmood's examiners were some of the world's best in the field," Dr. Abdalla said.

"You all know that Halim also won the Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence. Mahmood has also been informed that he will be nominated for the Chancellor's Medal for 2010."

Halim and Mahmood are GIRU's first two PhD graduates.

The Muslim Business Network held the first in its series of lecture seminars at the Springwood Towers last week.

Professor Michael E. Drew of the Griffith University Business School spoke on the causes of the current global financial crisis in an entertaining and informative way tying together all the pieces of the jigsaw that has seen the financial markets in the state that they are currently in.

The following website has a comprehensive range of Islamic books that can be downloaded for free:

http://islamicdatabase.org/book/export/html/12

AFIC held its 45th Annual Congress recently at which elections were also conducted and new appointments made to the executive committee.

Ikebal Patel was elected unanimously as the organization's President.

At the first Executive Committee meeting held last weekend, Asma Akram from Darwin was appointed to head the AFIC Women's Committee.

Heba Ibrahim (pictured right) from Melbourne was similarly appointed to Chair the AFIC Youth Committee.

"Both appointees will be provided with all the support and other resources necessary to ensure that the Muslim women and Youth in Australia are encouraged to actively participate in the affairs of the Australian Muslim community," said Ikebal Patel.

These committees will be named as Muslim Women Australia and Muslim Youth Australia.

Representatives from each State will be invited to be nominated or to volunteer to join these National Committees.

"We seek your suggestions and welcomes ideas and initiatives that AFIC can consider in terms of programs that will uplift the often distorted image of Muslim women and youth to one that is positive, value adding and forward
looking," added Ikebal Patel.
 

"Collectively Muslim women and youth make up over 70 percent of our community and they should be actively supported. We would appreciate your recommendations on issues that impact directly in the lives and choices of our women and youth."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8059218.stm

Fast food chain KFC is trialling halal meat in certain restaurants, but some Muslims say it hasn't been killed in the correct Islamic way. Catrin Nye asks when is halal meat not halal meat?

It may claim its food is "finger lickin' good", but until recently strict Muslims might have seen a problem with it.

Now fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is trialling halal meat - meaning it has been killed in accordance with Islamic dietary laws - in eight of its UK restaurants. But the trial has sparked a debate over what is and what isn't halal, with some Muslims boycotting the restaurants because they say the meat has not been killed correctly.

The issue is whether meat can be halal if it has been slaughtered using mechanical methods.

Traditionally, halal meat is killed by hand and must be blessed by the person doing the job. But some Muslims say a mechanised form is also now acceptable.

Halal is the description of food and drink Muslims are allowed to consume under Islamic dietary laws defined in the Qur'an and in the sayings of the prophet Muhammad. Classifying of halal food can only be carried out by a Muslim expert in the laws.

The meat is traditionally prepared by slaughtering the animal with a quick cut to the throat with a sharp knife to allow all blood to drain from the animal, the idea being that the meat is cleaner. The slaughterman is required to say the traditional proclamation of faith in one god as the animal is killed.
 

At present two separate organisations regulate the halal food industry in the UK. The Halal Food Authority (HFA) says using machines is ok, as long as the meat is still blessed. It argues that advances in technology mean methods have to change and though a machine does the killing, the meat is still blessed by a Muslim slaughter-man.

But the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) says animals should be slaughtered by hand and using a machine is not halal and not permissible. It argues mechanisation contradicts a fundamental principle of halal - that the person who slaughters the animal is the same person who recites the words over it.

'Rotten and wrong'

"Halal is a very sacred part of a Muslim's diet and many Muslims do not even know what they are eating when it's certified as halal in this way," says Yunus Dudhwala, chairman of the HMC.

"I think the majority would be very upset to find out that it's been mechanically killed."

KFC says it is following the guidance offered by what it considers a reputable advisor.

"We are working with the Halal Food Authority, one of the most widely recognised bodies in the UK and overseas, who have audited and approved our halal suppliers, distribution and our trial store environments," says a spokesperson for the company.

The debate has prompted calls for a single body to regulate the halal food industry which has a clear set of guidelines on animal slaughter.

"The onus is not on individuals to identify each and every item that they eat, if the seller says it's halal that's enough," says Ajmal Masroor, an Imam and spokesman for the Islamic Society of Britain.

Have your say on the subject at www.ccnforum.ning.com
 

The School of Public Health at Griffith University is currently conducting a research project, which investigates how Australian Muslims achieve a balance between their work and non-work lives.

"I would like to thank the Muslim community for their support and participation in the project, said Dr. Mohamad Abdalla, who is supporting the research work of PhD candidate Adam Sev.

"We are in need of further participants and hence, kindly asking brothers and sisters to complete a confidential survey."

"With large participation, the project will have greater power to increase awareness and inform future government policies that will potentially help brothers and sisters balance their work, family and religion."

For more information on the project, read the information sheet first and save a copy for future reference.

"Please spare ten-minutes of your time to complete this survey online via the link below and press the done button when completed."

The online survey will be completely anonymous.

You will also have the opportunity to win one of two prizes including a SONY PSP or an AUSTRALIA ZOO FAMILY PASS.

Click here to take the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XyISGt4_2bcJJAVIOl_2bg0C5w_3d_3d

 

Galila Abdelsalam (IWAQ Director) and Fatima Abdel-karim (IWAQ President) receiving the 2009 Local Area Multicultural Partnership (L.A.M.P) award from Mayor Pam Parker (Mayor of Logan)

The Department of Education and Training and are currently organising a huge and spectacular show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall on 6 June.

The show is called Creative Generation - State Schools Onstage.

This is part of the Qld 150th Anniversary celebrations.

As part of the show they plan to include a "Parade of Nations" and are seeking approximately 10 - 20 volunteers (adults and children) in their national dress to march on Stage representing their national heritage.

The parade will represent the many nationalities who have chosen to make Queensland their home. Queensland has grown from having this multi national community and is a significant part of Queensland's development since 1859.
 
They are anticipating audiences of approximately 7,000 people per performance.
 
Invited guests include Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland, Queensland Governor Penny Wensley and other distinguished guests.
 

The show will be televised nationally by of media partner Network Ten.

For more information about Creative Generation and tickets visit their website at www.creativegeneration.deta.qld.gov.au

 
Full details about the show and the processes at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall will be provided to participating schools and volunteers through the Final Information Book.

"This is a great opportunity for all Queenslanders to celebrate together!" said organizer Talei Schmith

 
For more information call Talei on 32379894 or email talei.schmith@deta.qld.gov.au.

Local primary schools in the Moreton electorate will receive $17.5 million for major new infrastructure projects under Round One of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) program.

One of the beneficiaries of this round is the Islamic College of Brisbane (Karawatha) which will receive $3 million to build a new multipurpose hall.

Local Federal Member of Parliament, Graham Perrett said all local primary schools should submit applications for Round Two which closes on 15 May 2009 and Round Three which closes on 10 July 2009.

“This first Round is for 20% of projects, further successful school projects will be announced in the coming months,” he said.

Have your say on www.ccnforum.ning.com